Cooper, Semuel 


Discourse on the man of sin 


DUKE 
UNIVERSITY 


DIVINITY SCHOOL 
LIBRARY 


Dr. COOPER’S 
Ps E RM ON: 
es Pee ACHED At The 3 
DUDLEIAN-LECTURE, 


SEPTEMBER if, 


4 


M,DpcC,Lx xt1ith 


+i 
it 
" . 
yi x) =. 5 
: Re 4 
is oe a! 
| 
' a | 
— Ny 
. — eg 
= | 
} 


4 : 2 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from — 
____ Duke University Libraries 


4 
es 


https://archive.org/details/discourseonma 


hh 
pe 


DISCOURSE 


@ON .THE 


-M A N 0.F Sot N=: 
DELIVERED IN THE 
Cuarzs of HARVARD COLLEGE: 

grr Le Nix: 
CAMBRIDGE, eR tet 
: SEPTEMBER », 1773: 
At the LECTURE, FounDER 


_ By the HONORABLE 


PAUL ee ESQ. 


Br SAMUEL COOPER, D.D. 


; ; Paftor of the Church in Brattle-Street, Boston. 


lia 
| 


_. BOSTON : Printed and Sold at GrEENLEAF’S. 
pee: shone -Office, in HANOVER-STREET: , __ 


- 


ee ee 


Cys ex ye x fm 
x 
etx. « xe oe ear 


1 ‘THESSALONIANS, 


bbseve 


lenordit 4 ira 2, 35 ‘4b sd b To. ad 


.? 4 


wow we béfecch y you brethren by ‘the coming ve our Lord 
aie Chrift, and by aur: gathering’ together unto 
m3 thatye be not foon fhaken tn mind, or be trou- 

“bled, neither ‘by fpirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as 

Si from us, as thatthe day of Chrift is at hand. 
Zet.no man deceive you by any means ; for that ee 
_ frall not come except there come a falling away frrft, 
© “and that man of fin be revealed. The fon of perdi- 
f:-tion ~—who oppofeth, and exalteth bimfzlf abave alt 
_ that is called God, or ‘shat is wor ‘foipped ; fo that He 
© a: God, Se in o se of 0 Sewing peek 
~ >that, He is Gad. 

d -then fhall that mee ie She ee she 
~ Lord hall confume with the fpirit of his mouth, and 
~ foall deftroy with the brightnefs of hts coming. Even 

» bim, whofe coming is after the working of Satan, with 
h all power,--and figns, and lying. wonders, and with 
: eee cetveablenefs of unrightzoufnefs in them that pe- 

> becanfe- they received not ‘the lave of the dy 
‘de, Abey. might be faveds.: : 


wes i E Routilhy, alent pti Peace 
T dered in it’s ftruture, and the 

/progrefs it has made in the 
world, j Is: at,once a furprizing .monu-. 
ment of hunian fagacity and weaknef§. 


oF ROE 


foe oe 6 yo 


» ADVANCING by flow alates to tha 
fatal maturity it pequired before: the 
reformation, it was nurtured by the 
obfervation -and -experience - of- ages; 
* and the abilities of a long fuceeffion of 
. 48 deep politicians as perhaps the world 
ever produced, It difcovers a thorough 
vacquaintance with the frailty of the hu- 
‘man mind: Its pompand pageantryftrike 
the fernfes : It manages with uncom- 
mon art and addrefs, every object that 
‘ean touch the paffions ; and while it 
- flatters the corrupt inclinations of the 
heart; it is at the fame time covered 
‘with a glare of devotion and autterity, 
and fupported with a fophiftry, ex- 
tremely adapted to dazzle ae ee 
the ‘underftanding.. ES Be 

a 
i Tone befxe Ear Soneaeedl it Tad 
extended itfelf overthe whole faceof the 
chriftian world: It had grown venerable 
by age: It had acquired aftonifhing 
firenpth by it’s long prepoffeflion of 
the minds of men: Tt had broken and 
almoft:-extinguithed,.what it had moft 

~to- dread, a liberal fpirit of i inquiry : 
-Fo‘conceal it’s own oppofition to the 


Re Sa 
ynodel upon which it profeffed to form 
it(elf, it had artfully withdrawn the 
facred {criptures from common view. : 
It had clofely interwoven itfelf .with 
the conftitution of ftates and kingdoms; 
and under a pretence of aiding, had 


ftrangely gained an afcendancy over 
the civil power, for which it foon 


pleaded a divine authority. While 


‘therefore we may juftly wonder — 
that fo. much of it remains in this 


| 
: 


enlightened age, we are at the fame 
time obliged to acknowledge and adore 
‘a particular interpofition, - of divine 
providence, in the refcue of fo many 
countries,from a fpecies of falle rel gi- 


‘on, remarkable for the deep poflef- 


| 


fion it takes of the minds of thofe who 
have once been devoted to it. = “+: ai 
-Porery, like other oppreflive pow; 
ers, grew too confident of it’s own 


) ftrength, and prefumed too much up- 


| 
; 
i 


on the ignorance and fubmiffive tem- 
per of thofe whom it had fubjected, 
Having long practifed, with amazing 
fuccefs, upon the credulity and weak- 
vies. of mankind, it at length pufhed, 


eae 


the? experiment too far." Contrary td 
that fpirit of diffimulation and fubtilty 
by’ which ie had beer’ generally guid: 
éd, it tteglected to varnifh it’s avarice, 
". and venal difpenfations for liceritiouf 
. hefs, with the colour of prudence and 
fobriety. The fale’ of inctilgéncies at 
the beginning of the fixteenth century, 
was ‘conducted “in ‘ 2: ‘mharmer that 
flioéked the grofleft underftandin g, and 
offended the ednfeiences ever of thofe 
who-had implicitly refigned them to the 
direction of the éharch, ‘and had never 
entertained ; “very rigid fentiments 4 


- Sea. 


ase ae samaeie Sas Ri on destin cs 
' tfSE Siist to. eajastiin mot +S 599 
Fars pooled the great {pirit. of ie 
thér,; dnd prepared: the minds of men to 
liften to his. difcourfes, : and -adopt hid 
free and noble fentiments, as they gra- 
= eeey openiedand euler Ehemuic lees 


Bail orat ce for the one ae a ae 

E breoutnelia the. tenth Eco, though 

carelefs of the reputation ef the church 
for fanctity and morals, was.a friend 
_ apdpatron of the arts and {ciences. Pro- 
tected and poftured by him, they were 


, A c 2 


te “ 


Ee 
eagerly feized by the reformers, and 
employed by them with happy fuccefs 
in effecting one of the moft important 
and glorious revolutions the chriftian 
church ever faw: The human mind, 
awakened from it’s lethargy, . and en- 
gaged in the purfuit of religious truth; 
felt an unufual pleafure in the free ex> 

: ertion of it’s own faculties, and pufhed 

| is inquiries from one fubject to. ano- 

| ther with great eagernefS aind advan- 
| tage: _. The fcriptures being laid open, 
and the explanation of them, greatly. 
| aided by the revival of the Greek and 

Roman learning, it.foon appeared how, 

contrary the diftinguifhing doctrines of 
Popery were, to thofe delivered by Chrift 
and his apoftles ; and how exactly the 
church of Rome; that had fo long been 
revered as the pillar and ground of truth, 

fefembled that apoftate ‘and idola- 
trous, that fubtil and fraudful, that 
tyrannical and perfecuting power, pre- 
dicted in our text, and in other paflages: 

* bf the néw teftament.'*°*! "= ae 

With this refemblance, the refofmers 
and their followers were greatly ftruck, 


A TTS eons Ree get EE RE EE A 


ed 


tle teenie 
¢ 


‘FPage S.laft line si for poftired’? read foltered.J ; 


| Hp fesai 
and finding the event fo plaifly correfs 
ponding to the prophety, not only their 
faith was hereby confirmed in the facred 
Writings,as-arevelation from him who a* 
lonédeelareth theendfromthe beginning andfrom 
ancient times thethingsthat arenotyet done; but 
their confidence in the truth and good+ 
‘nefs of their caufe was ftrengthened, arid. 
their honeft zeal and.ambition enliven> - 
‘ed;to feparate themfelves from a religi- 
ous community :that had fo grofsly 
departed from the doctrineand precepts 
of Fefus y to oppole it’s corruptions with 
the‘armor-of light ;" and to be honoured. 
aycinftruments-in the hand of divine 
providence, of delivering mankind fron» 
a fyftem of falte shea which the prot 
phetic f{pirit: icfelf had defcribed cue 
éxécrated. as a child ae eae rete getss i> 
Rae Bisel ban neat ve Bade 
-»[Uron. this ground they 1 bold! ly with 
mands. of the. chair of Ses Peter, which 
had. long. | been regarded = the center 
of unity, ‘and infallible in it’s dictates ee 
Upor this grotind they fupported them- 
felves again{tthecharge of {cifm,acharge 
_4which in that day.: -carried a fel 
. found to the ears of men, and L which the 


ee 
« 
e 


2 f i a; 
papal power had imployed every arti. 
fice, every fpecies of perfecution and 
cruelty, to render formidable. 


peed 9 8 argument was indeed popular, 
and had great effect :. The found of antin - 
chrift,and the Man of Sia, mufthave heigh- 
thened an abhorrence of the Bifhop of 
Rome. Butthe reformers didnotinventit; 
they. found it prepared for them by_the 
fpirit of truth ; andthey urged it with a 
manly botdnefs and energy, for which: 
they willlong »e honoured in the church. 
of God. That it was not the extrava- 
gance of enthufiafm, not the artifice of” 
a party heated by controverfy, and ex- 
afperated by injuries, to fupport. it’s. 
own. caufe, but the refult of a fober,tho’ 
free inquiry into the facred writings, has 
been confirmed by the judgment of the 
- moft learned and temperate expofitors.. 
- from that day to the prefent ; and muft 
be evident to every ane who impartial- 
‘eonfiders what thefe- writings, have de~ 
Jivered to us upon this point, and par~ 
ticularly the paflage. of St. Paxl, which, 
Lhave now read. A fubieét that very- 
preperly comes under our prefent cons 
- prticg by B52,e-9! 


eae 

fideration, as it has been particularly 
_ -pointed out by the honourable founder 
- ofthis Lecture ; who, in an inftitution 
that will tranfmit his name to pofterity 
‘as a warm and generous friend to pro- 
teftant: piety, and the rights of conf{ci- 
-ence, has expreffed his ae that the bu- 
finefS of she third difcourfe upon this 
‘occafion fhould be *“ for the detecting 
‘s¢ and expofing the idolatry of the Ro- 
as mifh church ; their tyranny, ufurpa- 
“€-tion, fatal errors, abominable {uper- 
“«€ Sitions, and other crying wicked- 
“« neffes in their high places ; and fin- 
“ee “ally, to prove ‘that the church of Rome 
“eis that myftical Babylon, that MAN OF 
= “SIN, that apoftate church, pean of 

©in the New-Tefament. 


S54 No-one will affert that cSsphetes , or. 
a_-prediction of things to come, which 
‘depend upon what areto us contingen- 

- -€ies, is impoffible.’ Toman indeed, fu- 
‘turity is veiled, or at beft, the object of 

- -ancertain conjecture 5 but'to the eye 
‘of God all things are naked and open. He 
“may. then, in w shar manner, and to what. 
degree he LEE foretell future sae 


1. 3S 


Nor is there in reafon, any prefump- 
tion againft his doing this, upon fpect- 
al occafions, and for fome important 
purpofe. And when he does it, in a 
manner plainly beyond all human fore- 
fight, and ina great compafs and va- 
riety of connected inftances, fuch a 
fcheme - of prophefy, accemplifhed, 
authenticates itfelf, and carries in the 
very face of it, the moft genuine and 
convincing mark of it’s divine origi 
nal and authority. ee 


Be it allowed, that a bold conjecture 
may be fortunate, and the event fome- 
times furprizingly anfwer to what was 

. foretold at random, or upon the prin- 
ciples of human probability, or fome 
pretended. occult art. Let the 


prediction of Vettius Valens, the augur, 
%* refpecting the duration of the Roman 
.* Fram the twelve vultures that appeared to 
Romulus, Valens foretold that the foyereignty of 
. Rome would laft twelve hundred years. pare 
. Dr. Hurd cites another prediction, re{pecting 
what hecallsa /till more important fubje, im which 
every American is particularly interefted. ‘* A 
<< Poet, fays he, in the idea of paganifm, was 
“a Prophet too. . And: Seneca hath left usin 
proof of the infpiration to which, in his dou; 


foz4 }.. 


‘empire, be cited asan example.Should we 
grant that this. was as remarkablein it’s. 
aacomplifhmenc as it ig faid tohave beens, 
and that more of the like kind might be 


produced 3 yet, what fober man ¢an fup- 


-pofe,-that a few fuch unconnected in- 
tances, refpecting feparate and unrelat- 
ea evenagy pe diliout ages, can vie Te 
“ -F or te 2> EO: ays Sky ie 2 a 


é¢ ble gqgasiey i igh pretend, the elles ing 
Mn Oracle. 
Bee aad LAE S —Venient annis ade 
Secula pri, quibus Occanus, 
__Vincula Rerum laxet, et ingens. 
. Pateat Tellus, Typhifque TOVOS., 
etegat Orbes 3. nec jit Terris 
euineis Yhima Zbule -::: . mistol o6. pase 


_%: Fhis prediction was made in che reign of 
« Nero;’and tor more than fourteen hundred 
os years,might onlypafs for one of thofe fallies of 
$f. imagination,in which poetr yfomuchdelights. 
¢ But “when at length, in the, clofe of the fif= 
“teenth century, the difcoveries of Columbus 
f© had reahzed this vifion ; when that enter- 
‘*. prizing navigator had forced the’ barriers of, 
“« ‘the vait atlantic ocean ; had loofened what. 
« the Poet calls the chain if things ; and in 
© thefe laterages;as was exprefily fignified, had 
«© fet_at liberty an immenfe continent, fhut up, 


MH 


by 


SF * Pe 3! 


_ before in furrounding feas from the commerce 


*¢ and acquaintance of our world : When this. 
s¢ event 1 fay, fo important and fo unexpected 
« came to pafs, it might almoftfurprife one into 
«. a belief, that the prediction: was fomething. - 
s NE a a Bore. fancyay, and that Hes 


2g 2 be : cs 


[Tog 

@r diminifh the credit and authority of 
the fcripture fyftem of prophefy.!. -A- 
fyftem vaitly extenfive, and confifting 
of a great variety of parts, all clofely 
| combined in tendency and defign ; fur- 
prizingly various, and yet minutely 
particularinthecventsit foretells, whicht 
| do all gravitate, fo to fpeak§ to orte 

cominon centre: A prophetic fyftem;” 

that has been gradually accomplifhing 

from the infancy of the world; that is’ 


r 
tt ver had indeed revealed fo one favoured: 
% Spaniard, what it had decreed, in due time, to 
_€ accomplifh by another.” ery se 
“*The Dr. adds, “ Thefe two inftances of ca 
@ fual conjecture, converted by time and acci-, 
« dent into prophefies, I take for granted, are: 
“© as remarkabie as any other that can be al- 
% ledged.” Hurd’s Sermon at the Leéture of the: 
Bithop of Gloucefter. p. ior. , - ey eee Eee 
T he laft is quoted by Dr. Samuel Mather, in hid. ee 
Astempt to-fhew that America muff be known to the An-" 
cients.. His remark uponitis; “ We need not 
% be fo unreafonably credulous as to believe; 
é that when Seneca wrote in this manner, he’ 
& was infpired with the fpirit of prophefy ; no} 
«¢ for nothing of this fort appears. {t is muelt 
¢¢ more likely that either from fome faint ap: 
* prehenfion of thé ftfucture of the terraque-" 
% eus globe, or from fome traditional accounts. 
%& of the greatnefs of the earth, and of another 
- & world befides their old one ; he might write’ 
after this feemingly prophetic manner: = ? 


t 


“ 


_ 


ne ee 


Fulfilling more and moreevery day,and : 
increafing the evidence of it’s own di- 


vine original, and will do fo, till the 


my ftery of God fhall be finifhed: 
ny ftery of | 


'.-Ir has been infinuated, “not only 


without proof, but in direct oppofition 
to the teftimony of all hiftory, that 


fome. . feripture . predictions were, 


framed after the évents had happened, 
and aré only hiftories, antedated and 
tranfmuted by pious fraud into the 
fhape of propheties. .But this cannoe | 


_be pretendedin the inftance wearenow . 
confidering. For as the ancient pre- | 


dictions -refpecting Jefus Chrift were 
in the hands of the Fews,his greateft ene- 
mies, who preferved with religious care ~ 
and veneration, what has long fince 


became the monument of their own 


blindnefs, and obftinate infidelity ; fo 
the proplifies of the néw-teftament, 
concerning the apoftacy of the church 
of Rome, liave been for many agesin | 
the cuftody of that church (a very | | 
ftric&t cuftody indeed) ; and with alt. 


their policy, fo infatuated have they. 
been, as that with thefe. predictions in 


E.2l 


their hands, the divine authority of 
which they zealoufly maintain, they 
have yet been gradually fulfilling them, 
and proving their own ecclefiaftical poli- 
ty, to be that very my flery of iniquity there’ 
defcribed, and, devoted to deftruction. — 


Ler it be further oblerved, that. 
though we efteem the argument from. 
prophefy, to be folid and convincing, 
and a good additional one, againft the 
church of Rome ; yet itis only ones 
among many ; and not fo effentialte the 
Proteftant caufe, as that upon fuppofi- 


- Hon it thould fail, and be given up, that 


caufe muft fall with it. The main 
arguments againft the corruptions of 
Popery, arife from their own intrin- 


’ fic abfurdity, and direct oppofition to - _ 


the firft notices of the human mind in a. 


religious inquiry ; from the unpro- 
-phetie and didaétic part of holy writ > _ 


from the plain doctrines and precepts 
ef Jefus Chrift ; and from the genius 


af and{pirit with which the whole gofpel is 
"animated and diftinguifhed. Not only. 


doth {cripture condemn, but reafon 


~_- 
Pa 
: 


\ 


E. 33] 
and common fenfe reclaim, againft the 
diflinguifhing tenets and practifes of the 


church of Ronis ; and againft that ar- 
rogant and lordly, that intolerant and 


cruel, that delufive and worldly {pirit, 
that giiides her decifions, directs her 
conduct, and breaths through the whole 
. pompous - exterior of ler religious of- 


i 4 » 
fices and rites. So that we have 
-é€nough to fatisfy us, without recur- 


ring to prophecy, that Popery i is in the 
_ true and. _proper fenfe, antichr ipian. 


ype When ive Eeroitwitt wonder this 


fyfiem of falfhood and iniquity; and’ 


that ‘divine providence fhould permit 
it to lift i it’ § head fo high, and to obtain 
fo wide and lafting an eftablifhment, 


in, the ‘vifible kinedom of .God : does 


it not relievé our-minds, and fippert 


‘ou conftancy to the truth, to confider,._ 
‘that all this was not unforefeen by the 


trué head So the church ; that it was per 


mitted by him for wife and holy. pur 
_pofes s that it was. foretold; and the és 
‘ehtitch carly warned of it by the fpirit — 


of truth > and that the fame fpirit hath 
affured us, this grand delufion fhall in 


due time Nes away: and like ae ‘f * bate. 


x 


Doe | 
tefs fabric of a vifion, leave not a 
wreck behind.” a7 


I aM aware indeed, that in the cata- 
logue of learned authors? who confider 
the papal power as antichrift, * and pic- 
tured by St. Paulin our text, fome dif- 
tinguifhed Proteftantnames are not tobe 
for Aparticularaccount oftheground 


ofthis diffent,ontheone fide,and what hag, | 


been offered on the other, by the much 
larger number of equally great and, 
A biaflce men, cannot be expedted in 
a fingle difcourfe. T : 


4 


'GrorTrvus, fappofes this, prophefy to. 


atte to the time preceeding the de- 
ftruction ‘of the temple at Ferufalem, 
and that the Man of Six, was the Roman 
Emperor Caligula :. And not being able 
_to make out the refemblance,. between 
_ this Emperor and the fubfequent ’ part 
‘of the defcription, heis obliged to intro-. 


‘duce Simon Magus, ‘as that wicked one. : 


“who was to. come with Sfgns and dying. 
A : ce choke aie are in favour of this opi-~. 
aS we find a Newton and a Clarke. y 


“4 See, Mede, Poole, Ww hitby; Benfon, Bifhop, 
Newton, Hurd, oc. 


- 


f 20 7: 


-qwonders. But Grotius,. whofe parts and. 


learning are every where confeiled, 


“carried Shas candor to an excefs. He 


was deeply engaged in a plan, which 


; -almott | every one ee himifelf confider- 


ed as vain and impracticable, for accom- 


- modating _ the difference between the 


Proteftant and Popifh communion : His 
hopes, however upon. this paint, were 
for a good reafan, flattered vy fome of 
the mot refpectable perfonages on the 
papal fide. ‘This m'ght give a biafs 


- even to the mind time great aman ; 


-‘offenfive to the Pope and his adherents, _ 


_fuch, abilities could oppofe | it with no 
greater advantage. For. it.is confeffed 


and knowing that pone was more 


than the application of the prophefies 
‘concerning, autichrift, and the Man of Sin 
to the a ‘chair, he- ‘might be led to 


: _ employ his abilities to find out another 


‘meaning, However this may be, it 


~ fhews the foundnels of the common 


interpretation of this paflage; that even 


on all hands, that Grotius never fell fo 
much below himfelf as upon this ar- 


-gument._, The, Romanifts. themfelves 
have ae hi acknowleged an) of whom : 


— ——= 


RRIRLR PLT EMILE 


De et en ee 


Ses cx 


Pred 


Fer 


it has been obferved, that while they 


have been fond of his name in this dif- 


pute, they have never boafted of the 
ftrength or fuccefs of his arguments. 
In the opinion of the beft chronolo- 
gifts, the accomplifhment he contends 
for, was prior to the prophefy ; for 
Caligula died before St. Paul wrote this 
epiftle. Manip 


“> 


Dr. Hammond, fappofes Simon Magus 
and the Guoftics to be here defcribed. 
Among the learned refuters of this fup- 


,pofition, Grotius himfelf is one ; and 


Le’Clerc, another ; whofe opinion is, that 
the apoftacy predicted in this paflage of 
St. Paul, was the revolt of the Fews from 
the Romays ; and that Simon the fon of 
Gioras, who headed the revolt, in con- 
junction: with his rebellious. followers, 
was the Man of Sin. — (2 atte 


TueEdefenders of the Bithop of Saee 


are divided in their opinion upon this 
fubject. Some interpret it of Rome Pa- 
gan, or particular Emperors. Some 
plainly difcern the grand impoftor Ma- 
homef in this prophetic paffage, and af 


o 3 
2 i - 


f ‘ 
_—— 
rt oat ed: teoeiged Oopuy - 


Be 


es ae 
fert it refers to him alone: of which 
opinion there are writers, not_ of their 


owncommunion. Others, return the’ 


weapons of the Proteftants upon them- 
felves, and affirm with much refent- 
mentand confidence, though littleplau- 
‘fibikity,and lefs truth, that the northern 
_ hierefy, .as they call the reformation, is. 
_the apoftacy foretold by St. Pau/ ; and 


the chief promoters of it, the Maz of: 


Siz. *™ But the greater part. of the Ro- 
mifh writers, fenfible of the weaknef 


and inconfiftency of other interpreta- 
tions in favour of their caufe,do frank...’ | 
ay acknowledge that antichrift is. here’ 


defcribed, the grand oppofer of Chrift 
snd his religion, But antichrift. fay 


they, is a fingle perfon, not a combi-__ 


nation or fucceflion of perfons ; his. 
Continuance upon -earth will be very. 


oe 


fhort : Adopting upon. this. odcafion . 


the prophetic period, 4 time, and Limes, 


and half a time, and taking it literally, 


» + they limit the duration of antichrift to 


ae 


three years and an half. - He will be res 


vealed, they affirm,fome time before the 
< wn ‘ive abt bd WS ey 


“ 8'Bithep Newton, Dr. Benton,” 97) 


s 


ted 


Po ks ee 


eee 
toming of our Lord at the laft day } 
when the church will feel the fad effects. 
of his fubtilty and power ; but, in their, 
opinion, he has never yet made his ap~ 
pearance in the worldy=<: gfe 


This deferves particular attentions 
It is an important confeffion from am 
adverfary ; not from a-fingle writer up- . 
on this fubject, but the beft Popifh Doce 
tors. Calmet himfelf, in his Differtation. 
upon antichrift, authorifes us to affert | 
this. They own then; that antichrife. . 
and the Man of Siz, are one and the fame; 
they own that nothing has yet. appeared, 
in the world to fulfilthe prophefies con- _- 
cerning this iniquitous power. Is not. 
this to confefs, that all the expofitors _ 
we have now mentioned, and others 
who have endeavoured to prove, that . 
Simon Magus, the Guoftics, the revolting 
ews, the Roman Emperors, or Mahomet, 
were folely intended by thefe predicti- 
ons, are quite miftaken, fince antichrift 
has riever yet been feen? Strange indéed, _ 
that fo remarkable a power asthe my 
tery ofiniquity is reprefented to be, in 
the facred ‘writings, and which the : 


: 


_. » ableto aflign fome good reafon for this ; 


: aoe AE ae 7 


‘Apoltle exprefsly tells us began to work 
in his own day, fhould not in the courfe 
of feventeen hundred years, have grown 
tofuch a fize.as to be vifible fomewhere+ 
Yet fo it is, according to the beft inter- 
preters on the papal fide ; and if anti- 


chrift is not to be found in the chair off 


_.¢ How then, you may perhaps fay, 
- .fhall we difinguifh truth from error 
- .upon.fuch a fubject, and amidft fo 
“many various and contradictory opini- 
...ons of thofe who have employed much. 
-time, ‘and no {mall abilities,.in thefe 
. refearches? But let us not be difcourag-- 


> ed: Difficulties excite attention, and || 
~ \«-eall forth the exertion of the human 


. Mind ; and attention to fo noble a fub-, 
. ject as the facred writings will ever be 
. well repaid. There isa portion of ob- 


_ feurity intermingled with the light, of | 
\ oe” ra “Fy | 

% {eripture prophefies, before theiraccom-_ 
: plifhment,.and even atter this is confi- | 


-: derably advanced. - We ourfelves are 


= 


p Serr x 5 : eee 


PRG VST ERLE TS 


pr 


re eat 


- 


scree 

and there may be more, with which we 
are not acquainted. Even the doc- 
irinal part of {cripture is not in all it’s 
branches, fo plain, Sut that wife and 
good men have diifered in their expla- | 
nations of it ; and can we wonder that 
this fould take place with refpect to 
the prophetic ! If we do not drop our 
attention to the former upon this ac? 
count, why fhould we to the latter. Are 
not the decifions of mere reafon, in 
different perfons; various and often op- 
pofite upon the fame fubject ? Muft we 
therefore turn fceptics ? Time matures 
our obfervations and -reafonings upon - 
common fubjects, and gives ts an in- 
creafe of n2tural knowledge: Time re- 
wards our religiozt inquiries’ with’ a 
knowledge more important ‘- Time il- 
juftrates what was darkj and explains: 
what was myfterious in the -prophe- 
cies of holy writ: |The fuccéffive la- 
‘bours of the learned and inquifitive, up- 
on this, as upon ail other fudjects, how- 
ever they may differ in their procefs, 
‘and conclufions, hdvé jointly contribut- 

éd to enlarge the huimaa uaderitand* 


= 


a I ea 


“Ing. - oe gS D Gs siete ae | ee 


v] 


mee: © 


~ 


P[ 2267} 
2 ~Dr. Whit by, whom’ I have not iyet 


tnentioned, fo far agrees with Le’Clere, 


fas to ‘fuppofe' this apoftacy, or. falling 
“way, to ‘intend. the. rebellion “of the 
Fews againft the Roman. goveramients; 


“but cthen he-includes: in-it-alfo, the . 
‘apoftacy of many -Jewiflt converts;: fram 


‘the chriftian faith; and! the Man “of Sit, 
‘according to his explanation; is- the 
body" of: the ‘Jewifh’ nation, ¢ the : maz-of 
_ difobedtence, «whe will not sfibmit= to-law 
~and government. He allows, howeVen, 


sthis: and .other characters here: given, | 


o'refer in part to. the papal: apoftacy 
and ufurpation. . *€T grant, fays «he, 


it! may in a fecondary fenfe, be:attri- 


uted to the papal antichrift or Maz :of 


Sin, and: may be fignally fulfiled in him, | 


-hecbeing. the fucceffor. to thé apoftate 
’ Jewith church,to. whom thefe characters 
“agreeas well as to her.” Ree, cae 


cos Ade tee 
aah 2: 


ath 1s tesa me to. abieee: that there 
is, doubtless, ae double fenfe. in many 
feripture: prophecies, By this double 


‘“fenfe, Ido not mean a ftudied and de= | 


‘feeitful uncertainty in. the expreffion, 


“en Purpofe to. fecure the “credit of. f the 3 


£ 


§ 
+ 
fr 
& 
g 
a 
2 
é 


RETIRE a rte 2 et er 


tse) 
prediction, on which fide foever -the- 
event may. fallesis: .n3 baie we? Ry eee 


“OF this. kind was. ‘the anfwer of the 
oracle at Delphos to Crefiss: To Pyrrbus 
it was the fame: So compleat | was the 
ambiguity, that one ‘would hefitate inz 
determining which was the moft natu> 
par eodiiaction of the words, whether. 
the Romans fhould. vanquifh him, or he: 
sani yanquilh the Romans... baavecrds te 


“Sucu was the bafe. duplicity af the. 
ancient Pagan oracles, which fome, even, 
of their own writers have not failed to, 
complain of, and. expofe. But not am 
inftance of this kind is to be found in. 
the prophecies of. {cripture. © They do, 
not indeed {peak of fingle and unrelat- 
ed events Ks ‘they are a “Fegular fyftem,, 
whofé parts relate to. one another, and. 
to one. grand. objet 3 and when ‘they. 
predict an event, they often” doit in lan- 
guage that plainly - rifes above it. and 
looks further, ‘and. is afterwards’ found: 
to be more ful! yaccomplifhed in “a fub~ 
fequent one, fimilar indeed to the’ firft; 


but perhaps much ° more important, 


ue is what - ji iatend by” a *doukies 


22] 


fenfe : More events than one may cor- 


; re{pond to, and be intended by, the 


fame prediction ; events that have fome 
general refemblance to each other, and 


refer to one grand defign, though they | 


“may differ in fome circumftances, and 


\ 


Bopper | in diftant ages. 


TH Isis undoubtedly true ie help pro- 
emisihs ‘of holy writ ; and fofar isit from 
diminifhing, that it- rather increafes 
their Inftre and authority.: They ap- 
pear more plainly from this circum-_ 
itance to be a plai of prophecy not to 
be counterfeited ; and to proceed from 


me eerat diyi ine forefight, to. “which all events 


_ latitude which is agreeable and familiar ~]) 


in all ages, are at once open. This was 
the opinion’ of Lord Bacon aa fort- 
ing ‘the prophefies of fcripture with 
their events, we mutt allow for that 


to. divine prophecies, being ‘of the na- 


ture of their author, with hen a thou- 


fand years are but as ane day : And there- 
fore they are not fulfilled pun@ually at 


once, but have {pringing and germi- 


“nant _accomplifhment throughout may 


BY: ages, though me LES ar fullnghs 


~ jp d _ . 


~ 


, ss shail _ 
ee pan ns _ 


E nee J ce 
of.them may refer to fome one age.”* 
Thus fpeaks that great man. ' 


: THere is a general analogy that 
_ runs through the whole providence 
ji and moral government of God. One 
thing is often by it’s very nature the . 
| figure and type of another. - The dif- 
penfation of Mofes was a ruder draught 
of that which the gofpel has eftablifh- 
ed; and the -ftate of the Jewith, pre- 
Iuded in many circumiftances that of 
the Chriftian church. And thoughthe 
_ ancient prophecies might be partly ful- 
filled in that age, yet we cannot doubt 
that they looked further, and have 
been more fully accomplifhed under 
the gofpel. In like manner, _there 
is an analogy between the firft and fuc- 
_ ceeding ages of the chriftian church ; 
and though the predictions of our Savi- 
our and his, apoftles might have a firft 
yefpeét to events, in their own day, or 
- not very diftant from it, yet we have 
- the beft reafon to conclude, that in 
‘many parts ‘of them, they regard= 
ed ‘diftant ages, and will not have 
their'full and. abfolute completion till 


7 


{ 3e } 


she. tinte of the ee of ne ae 


Uronthis eeepc. may wenotin ne 


' meafure, reconcile the opinions of the 


learned Proteftant authors before men- 


tioned, and even: fome of the Romith, 7 i 
with the:truth of fcripture prophecy; 


and at the fame time maintain the con- 
clufion of by far the greater part ofour | 
own writers,that the papal antichrift is 


ultimately_intended by the Man of Sin, 


‘and that no other power. fully anfwers 
to all: the. Seana EES in ae ee 
ath | Sheol ; 


THE Apoftle Fobn Kali tells us, 
that, there are many antichrifis, Thefe 
are of different forms and fizes, and 
may appear in different ages, though 
all agreeing in their oppofition to Jefus 
Chrift ada his kingdom, A. number 


of. them then may be fo confiderable, 
Las to be the fubject of fcripture pro-~ 


phecy, and pointed out before hand by. 
the fpirit of truth in this and other, 
predictions, for the | warning and, 
fupport of the ‘faithful in different, 
periods, though there may be one prin-. 


hn antichritt, chiefly and ultimate. i 


ea 


db 


tart ee 


ly inténded by thefe predictions, in 
which they do all evidently. center and 
Sunite.’- 4s fo5e74 ot 
_ WE may grant then, that the Man of 
Sin, he that oppofeth himfelf, and was 
in due time to ‘be confumed and. de- 
ftroyed, does not exclufively intend the 
papal power, but alfo other erfemies 
to chriftianity, *-in-. or near-to the 
vapoftles time ; and. fome that are ce- 
temporary with thispower. Allof thefe 
-are certainly: not, too fmall and incon- 


3, * &. There is, fays a latelearned and judici« 
“ous writer, a.complex kind of prophecy, viz. 
- when future perfons and things in theirnatural 
characters and actions, are made emblems of 
-petfonsand things more remote thanthemfelves, 
‘and are predicted with this very view, that they 


‘ may reprefentthem. In thiscertainly there is 


nothing incongruous. Known untoGod are all 
-the ations of men from the beginning. Every 
event that comes to pafs is the effect of his pre- 
. vidence., From the characters and actions there- 
fore of perfons, who he knew would come upon 
ethe ftage, he might eafily choofe thofe which 
in tHeir nature and eircumftantes, were beft 
-adapted te be emblematical reprefentations of 
-the future perfons and events to be introduced 
-in more diftant periods: And having fixed upon 
.fuch as he faw to be proper for that end, it was 
every way agreeable to his wifdom to foretell 
them, in order that he might raife and keepup 
‘among mankind, an expectation ef the more 


es re 


4 


fiderable to be noticed in the pre=. 


dictions of holy writ, and ranked 
- among the grand oppofers of the gof 

-pel... Nor would our conceflion in- 
jure the unity of defign in thefe pre- 


dictions 3 or weaken the ev idence, that - 


jn our text, the Romifh | antichrist is 
chiefly - intended. ; arian 


: eet : 
+ > ~ 


Tze. Gewitle: nation as a ‘bushy were 
sayertatics to. Chrift, and perfecutors 
of his followers : Thofe of them that 


-Apoftatized from the chriftian faith were 


diftant greater events. Indeed this metkod of 


“prophecy is fo far from being abfurd, that no- 
thingean beconceived better ‘adapted to difplay 


“the perfectior:of God. For it gives us the grand: 


.eft, moft miagzificent; and moft affecting idea 
‘of the power and fore-knowlege of God, and 
“of the extent cf his pravidcees whereby the 
'world is coverned.” .> 

we s¢ Ofthiskindof eee ane an example 
. -2 Sam. vii 12. In it’s firft meaning, this pro- 
-phefy- evi ‘dently refers ta Solomon. _Néverthe- 
‘lef3,, that it had a fecond meaning, refering 
to more diftent perfons, is equally plain. The 
‘diffzrent pafiages of the prophecy mutt be ap- 
“plied, in their hicheft fenfes, to the different 
‘perfons fecken of, according to the peculiar 
nature of ezch. ‘Some, cf Solomon, and his or- 


‘dinary defcerdents-: Others, of the Meffiah on- 


‘ly; 3 and of Solozton, as his type.” ~ 


PMACEMIOETS. Truth of Gofpel Hittery. F P. 186, ¥ 


F 


SO RRR MARTON EIT Ie* 


| 


fn Le Se oa 

perhaps as fierce in this oppofition as 

any :. Their Sanhedrim and High Prieft,- 

who fat in the.temple of God,were the lea- 

ders in this perfecution : They were 
for exalting themfelves’ above the Ro- 
| man Emperors, called Gods in the fenfe 
that civil rulers are fo called in the fa- 
| ered writings. But the power and 
| polity of this nation was foon after, ac- 
cording to fcripture ~ predictions, fig- 
nally -broken, by the coming of the 
Lord Jefus, to execute his judgments 
upon them. I lil 
SIMON Macus was aMan of Sin; he 
came with figas and lying wonders ; but with 
other (educers,and oppofers of the gofpel, 
«ho accompanied, or foon followed him, 
he has long fince pafled away.” - 


"Fue Pagan Emperors employedtheir 
power to. deftroy the religion of Jefus 
in it’s infancy, and feverely oppreff-, 
ed and perfecuted his followers : But 
the gofpel, as had been foretold, pre- 
wailed ; and at length the Empire, - 
with Conftantine at it’s head, affumed the 
prefefficn of chriftianity. -This) was 


oo-ee 
2'- + 


- 


ib se 1Y- | 
One femarkable coming of the fon of 


man, though clouded iy the ——— 
= hal See of the: church. 2: + 7 


Manonnt, was a Man He cae a ae 
prophet ; who came with deceiveable-.__ 
— nefs of unrighteoufue/s and induced many. | 
ta believe a lie; a great and fuccefsful 
oppofer of the golpel by the fword. 
His feat, the Turkifh Empire, | has for a 
long time, according to {cripture .pre- 
dictons, been upon the decline. - It 


“now fearcely fupport irfelf againt the 
attack of 2 a fingle Chrittian: poo i 


»sHow fac we may allow, this ee. 

tic; defcription of St. Paul to refer to 
-thefe perfons, and events, I leave, after 
«what has been faid, to the decifion of . 

- ethers’! My” principal defign being'to | 
fhew, that none of them Ba fully anf= _| 
_ wer and abfolve this prophecy ; while 
in the Papal antichrift,. all the charac- 
ters furprizingly center rand unite. : se 


we Sales £- 


THESE. chaeicier are, “apoftacy ; a | 
Man of Sin who jitteth in the temple of God s. 
er. in the church ; 3 ho at tthe a time 


~ ~ ames 


rf x ae 2 om 


(a aa eal lili la a SS aS 
— 4 i i ' 


tao 3 

 gppofeth himfelfto Chriftand his kingdom; 

who exalteth himfelf above all that is called 

God, all civil rulers ; who /heweth himfelf 
: that he is God, impioufly affuming the 
||) power and authority of the almighty : 
|) Who comes. after the working of Satan 3 
¢ with cruelty, fubtilty, and unrighteous 
deceivings ; with lying wonders and falfe 
miracles. Thetime alfo of his appear- 
ance, though not particularly afcer- 
tained, is in general pointed out by ~~, 
feveral circumftances. Ae heey 


dP. . <Some of thefe characters do not agree 

to the body of the Jewifh nation. They 

did. not apoftatize from chriftianity, 

for they never affumed that, profeflion = 

Thofe who fell away from the gofpel, 

hhad no leader, and were abforbed in 

the much greater part of the nation,.ta 

which they. returned. - Simon the fon 

-of Gioras was. never exalted -above the 
Emperor, but became his.captive. Nei- 

_ ther he, nor the High Prieft, nor the 
Sanhedrim, much lefs, the body of the - 
mation, ever fat in the temple, and re- 
ceived homage as God ;- for the Fews 

in that age, with alJ their impieties. andi 


. 


Ca Cage tie 


a ie Saal 
vices; had the greateft abhorrence’ of 
idolatry, and could not endure. any ap 
proaches to it. Thefe’ important cir= 
cumftances evidence, that the. Jewifh 
nation does not afford a compleat. = 
i of is prophefy.. Ae 


ie icark ‘do Simon Vee hott rhe 

Guoftics, as Dr. W. hitby has largely and 
fully. proved. The Apoftle declares, 
in the beginning of. this chapter, that 
the day of Chrift was not at hand: But 
-ifby this day be principally meant, the 
day in which he was to come’ for-the 
‘deftruction of Simon Magus, as Dr.. Ham- 
mond’s hypothefis fuppofes, it: was, con- 
trary to the declaration of the Apoftle, 
nearat hand ; for Simon perifhed with- 
in four: years’ after the writing: of this 
USS ; and fixteen years before the 
_ deftruction of Ferufalem.-- He never fat, 
~ fhewing himfelf as-God, either inthe Jew- - 
ith temple, or the -Chriftian..church. 


Nor-did the fect of the -Guoftics fall with = | 


this their fuppofed-leader ;.norindeed | 
- with the Fews,-at the ruin of their tem- 
_ ple and City ; for it prevailed moft af 
new sleeh thefe ¢ events. Lele gee Noe FT re 


pee ae aT . Fag ee ee 


ce 


Ee Band 


 . + Tue Roman Emperors, though inimie 
gal to Jefus and his. religion, do not 


| fully anfwer to this defcription of the 
| Man of Sin. | They never apoftatized 


either from the Jewifh or Chriftian 
‘faith : They were revealed before the 
“writing of this‘ epiftle : “Their “power 


| ‘and authority, and their enmity to the 


-gofpel, was open and known to all the 


Sworld ; whereas the Apoftle informs - 


ats; that the Man’ of Sin, though he al- 
ready began to work, yet did not appear, 
‘but was to be revealed in fome future 
time.’ They did not pretend to the 
‘power of working ‘miracles ; nor was 


‘their chair or feat in the temple of God. * 
-ORLTR Aa Cishy UU SS -RORFIGESS Lh Seak- 


+; i ManOMET wasno apaftate ; for he ne- 


_ cwer profeffed either the religion of Mofes, 


-or of Fefus. \' He never fat izthetemple af: 
‘Godzfor though he changed many Chrif- 


tian churches into’ Mo/ques.;: yet cer- 
“tainly thefe edifices, ° filled with Maho- 


metan zealots, could notbe -called af 
ter fuch a change, in the fenfe of the 
“Apoftle, >the ‘temple or’ the ‘church> 
“of God “Nor did this deceiver ever 


set 
# 


retend to eftabliih his authority by . 
Odie MS ASTSATS Gigi ck Seeks int 
‘ ‘ — 


. 


£238 J 


uatracles. i This is: Soaledaedy “aS 
Dr. Prideaux affures us, in the Alcoran 
atfelf, a by: the beft interpreters of it. 


teat?) 
s AS. ta the recrimination, of the Papal 


: swriters againft the Proteftants upon this 
joint; in 1 order to fhew the juftice of i it, 


‘head, to. whole ere ae pay an 
cunlimited fu. ymiffion 5. that he fitteth in 
: fome, ‘capital temple as God; and that 
his. caufe, has: been promoted by pre- . 
tended. miracles. ; And finally, to prove 
the reformation an apoftacy, they mutt 
overthrow. all the arguments brought 
by the reformed againit the diftinguifh- 
-ing: dogmas. and © rites. ‘of their own. 
- church ; and evidence, that. thefe are 
*fipported by the authority of the new- — 
<teftament.. © But: this would be a much. 
-greater miracle; \ than? with; all. their: 
pretenfi ons, they. a ever yet sheer 
a to perform. i leo. gilessea spon 


Soak pas SP : 


3 ets £t &: ctpeate ee 


: T HAVING thus. hewn, . hat none “of 
‘thefe perfons and events do fully anfwer 

~ to this prophecy ; ;. though in feveral of 
- ther there i is fome general and ftrong 


mf : > 


, 
ET oe 


i! 


-vernment, but from the purity of faith — 


cue een 
refemblance of it ; if now wé can prove 
that all it’s characters are to be found in 
the Papal power, it mutt fatisfy us, that 
this power was ultimately, and prin-" 
eipally intended by it. “97 
“Yn the firft place, let it be obferved. rs 
that the Apoftle’s defign in the begin- 
ing of this epiftle, is to fhew, that the day 
af Chrifi,by which he plainly means,ashas 
beenabundantly provedbyexpofitors,the 
final judgment, wasnotat hand,and fhould 
notcome, except therecomea falling away firftz 
and that Man of Sin be revealed. By which 
he ftrongly intimates, that. the apof- 
tacy he principally meant fhould be ex- 
tendedto a diftant time, and farbeyon 
the deftruction of Ferufalem.- ~ 
“Tuts apoftacy is evidently a religi- 
ous one ; not a falling away from go- 


pe and worthip : It was to be effected by. 


frrong _delufions, and the dceceiveablenefs 


of anrighteoufne/s > through which thofe | 
who had not the love-of the truth, fhould . 
be induced to believe a lie that they might 


be. damned ; baviig had pleafure in unrigh+ . 


= 


teoufnes,andbeen fond of the deception. ~ 


t - 


f 40 J 
© TA = principal. character in it; the 


- Yeader,- te whom the prophecy chiefly 
¥éférs, is the Man: of Siu = : A ftrong ex 


e. preffion,. indicating not only one who is 


very wicked himfelf,but emmently indus 
cesotherstoact wi ickedly. Bythis Maz,in 
the fingular Srumber;the abfolutemonar- 
chy-ifi the: éhiurch of Rome is well defcrib~ 
ad; thoughwe ‘de not fuppofe.any par 
_ deutie Popeis imtended, las the Bifhops’ 
Sf Rowe in facceffiotr. .- It gives us” x 
Bites character of hile ised of men, 
and of thofe who have had‘ the prin+ . 
éipal fhare ‘in their- ecclefiaftical admi- 
niftration ; the: chief promoters anid 
Gefenders of the Romifh Hone oe 


eyscust i 

TuHat this. application, ore as it 
may. feem to be, is not unjutt, all hiftory 
-attefts. “No man cart read Flafina's lives 
of the Popes, and Bowers’s larger and 
more ‘fnodern hiftory, “without being 
fhocked atthe impieties, the perfidy; and’ 


S unbounded debaucheries, of thofe who. 


chair ; ee with> 
= any” 
“Bpoii ¢ earth, were 


Swe ‘take even a curf 


“eS i0Li aor DSfitt pas bes! 
- 2 


~ 


¢ 


tat 


; pal fyftem of re'igion ; it’s direct ops 


.pofition to the honour of God and the 


~ -one mediator; it’s grofs fuperftition and 


§dolatries ; it’s tendency to debafe and 
enflave the human mind ; the:indul- 
gence it grants to vice in every form ; 


and the pleas it allows for crimes, at 


which the untutored breaft immediate= - 


ly revolts ; without acknowledgings 
that thé contrivers of fuch a fyftem; 


with the gofpel in their hands, muft 
hhave Had an heart, to an uncommon 
degree infenfible and depraved: 
/ ANOTHER charaéter is, he oppofeth 3 
He is an adverfary to Jefus Chrift and 


his Kingdom. This diredtly anfwers 
to the name antichri/t, and indicates the 


“head of the: Romifh chureh to be the 
| principal antichrift; {poken of by Ste 


“ohn; which may fignify; both one 
who places himfelfin theroom of Chrift; 


and aéts in oppofition to him: The 


Pope Calls: himfelf the vitar of Chrift 3 
the only vifible head of the church 3 
and blafphemoufly arrogates to himfelf ° 
the infallibility and fupremacy of ong’ 


ms! = 


a 


ene Xe g me S¥e.8 += = % ft > 
, — a ‘ > : 
t ; wt Sh vee gi Fe he Ferre es 


[a2] 


attended Lord. PUsder the -pretericé 

of. ferving him, he fteps into his place ; 

and ghece: corrupts the fimplicity, defiles 

_ the purity, and oppofes the true power 

and fpirit of his religion: This Sox of 
perdition, the very phrafe by which our 

» Lord deferibes Fadas, betrays -his ma& 

ter with a kifs, and fells him for filyer; 

debafing his doctrine and ae for. 
the oo of unrighteoufnefs.. rs a : 
Buui 

Poste. oppoles with eae) as well 

as fubtilty and deceit. He maketh wat 

with the Saints, and proves “himfelf to 

be.that cruel and oppreffive power, 

predicted by Dauiel, and afterwards in 

_ the revelations of St. Foln, which hath 

horns like a Lamb; but at the fame. time, 

gy coet like a. TES Aye DS eae 


s How mild hisa appearance, ie gen- 
tle his language, upon fome accafions ¢ 
Bur: how dreadful his Rewer ! How re- ; 
Tentles his. exuelty ! 1 Speak ye aly 
_ foxls,, ‘for. you, can. ‘tell | Ye martyrs, - 
; , and confeffars ! Who, sbecaufe you: would 
RQ yiolate your. confciences by fubmit= 
' ting to his ‘unrighteous ‘impofitions,: 


2 and. renouncing the truth as itis in t Felis Mee 


s 


e [ 4a 
have loft your eftates; been torn from 
your tendereft connections ;~ have 
_Janguifhed in dungeons, have groan-_ 
ed upon the wreck, and expired in 
flames. Speak,ye who fuffered in Eng 
fand in the Marian days + Speak, ye thou- 
fands, ye many thoufands, that fell — 
i -4t once in the maflacrés of Paris and 
Ireland F Speak, ye Waldenfes, and Al- 
bigenfes, who fell in ftill greater numbers, 
i and more varied forms’ of ° torture. 
Your blood indeed is vocal, it crieth 
he the graund-+ Though art and falfe- 
nood. have been employed, to difguife 
the facts, and to. ftifle the voice ; it 
pierces through all, andrings in the ears 
of men, the unparralleled cruelty of 
that myftical woman, that morber of 
— @bominations, the church of Rome x. drunk= 
"en with the blood of the Saints, aud with 
fhe blood of the Martyrs of Teity. 


* Iw vain doed fhe attempt to eoiiceak, 
or pattiate this, part of: her odious. 
‘Character. The ftain is indelible! To ~ 
het we may apply the words of the - 
prophet ; though thou wafs thee with nim 
are, and: take theemuch foap, yek tt thing | 


merit? 


[ 44 } : 
7 ery marked Toe me, Leith the ford 
God. ; 


2. )r.ean 1 be demonftrated from hiftory 
that fhe hath fhed ten times more 
chriftian bload, by her holy wars, her | 
eruzades, her affaflinations, and num- 
berlefs perfecutions, than all the pagan. 
--Emperors united. The inhumanity 
of her court of inquifition is not to be 
*- equalled, among the moft barbarous 
nations, nor by any other court, ever 

erected by the greateft tyrant. 


-Wuar an idea does it give us of 
the’ deteftable cruelty of the fons of | 
Rome, to be told, that an American fa- 
, .Vage, ready to expire under the hands 
ef the Spaniards, afked a prieft, who 
offered to prepare him’ for Heaven, 
whether the Spaniards would dwell 
there; Being affured they: would ; then 
faid he, ‘<Jet me go to another place. But 
was the language of nature: He knew - 
. he could not ‘be happy with fuch affo- 
‘ciates, Much the fame idea of chrifti- 
anity was given to the gegen Saxons, 


oS Jer a. PY a 


my 


{45.9 

Charles the great, under the influence 

of the court of Rame, Monfieur St. Faux 

fays, having conquered them, coms 

manrded them to abftain from meat in 

Lent, and to be baptized, under pain 

of death. Inthis manner was the Prince 
We of peace firlt revealed to them ; and the 
1 _ poor Saxans were driven to chriftian 
| baptifm, from the terror of being bapti« 
zed in their awn blood, * th 
| :> : se Shey : PR CE es 


. ®# & Popith writers affure us, that they are 
* € now grown much more mild and moderate, 
« and have none of the ferocity and cruelty 
« which was the temper of forraer times, and 
« thatthey condemn perfecution for amerediv- 
« erfity of religiousfentiments. They may be fo, 
«* and they mutt be fools wha‘ believe them. 
«It is probable enough, that amongft their 
& Laity thereare feveral who diflike all fangui- 
« nary methods of fupporting their religion 3 
« but it is becaufe they do not fully underitand 
_ their awn ecclefiaftical fyftem, into the very 
“€ nature of which perfecution is fo clofely wo- 
«© ven, thatnothing can feparate it. Upon blood 
“€ it was built, and by blood it muft be fupport- 
_ @ ed. Toleration and liberty of conicience 
« would infallibly undermine and deftroy it. | 
_ « In thisprefent century,and in our own times, 
«© there have been cruel examples of Popifh in- 
‘€ toleration and perfecution; fufficient towarm 
4¢ as what we are to expect from them.” 


so LL Jartin’s Sermons. V. 7+ P- 449 
. 3 Saas: * a 


A — ; . ~—y . 
3 . rad ven 2 7 
~ od > ™ 


2 Tals ¢ 2% 


ee | a 

*:"Frenext character of the Maz of Six, 
is ; he exalteth bhimfelf above all that is 
called Ged, or that is worfripped. . Wha 
does sot immediately confefs the Bi- 
fhop of Rome in this defcription ? Hé 
exalteth himfelf, not only above: all 
paftors, all ecclefiaftical officers and 
dignitaries, but above all civil rulers, 


_ who are called Gods ; above all Kings 
and Emperots,..The Emperor Fre= 


deric the firft, held the ftyrup of his, 
horfe, and was chid for holding it on 
the wrong fide.- Another Emperor, 


+ Henry \Vth, waited three days at the 


gates of Pape Gregory VIIth, to obtain, 


an audiente, Frederic, fell proftrate. 


tr St. Mark’s church at Venice, before. 


_ Alexander the Ul, in prefence of the peo- 


_ ple ; while the humble Bifhop, placing. — 
_ his foot upon his neck, uttered that paf 


fage of the Pfalmift ; thou (halz tread upox. 


phe lion and the adder 3 the. young lion and 
the. dragon fhalt thou trample under foot. 


The Prelate of Rome has depofed Kings 


and Emperors ; abfolved their fubjects, 


. from. all allegiance to them ; and au- 


_thoritatively required their ‘aking arms 
p #eaintt them, ; : 


{ 47 3 

Tuts has not only been done by 
fome who have filled the pontifical 
ehair; but is agreable to one of the 
profeiied ‘principles of the Romi 
church: It is to be feen in their de- 
trees, of at leaft equal veneration and 
authority among them; with the Bible 
itfelf ; @ That all Kings and Einperors 
* ought to be fubject to the Pope ; that 
& he is placed by the Lord over nations 
‘cand kingdoms; net fme only, bué 
f© all : That whatfoever the Roman 
«« church ordaineth; mutt be obferved 
‘© by all; without contrpz}; and ever- 
*< Jaftingly ; and thet it is of abfolute 
*¢ neceflity to falvation; that every hu= 
** man creature fhouid be fubje@ to 
** the Holy father: Azcordingly,;” Cles 
“* ment the fifth deciared, that by hig 
** undoubted fuperiorizy to the Em< 
peror, and by the fulhieS of power 
“ Chrift had given him in the perfor 
& of St. Peters” ‘he did Me au = 


“« proceeding oS" 


Tre: Apottle per i: % hdl ey ag eee 
fisess in. the temple of God, fhewing bine 
* Self, that he is God. The temple of God, 


4 


fs 5 


Cas | 


Gigwifies in prophetic language, the 
church of God ; and as the. Man of Sik. 
was to appear after the abrogation of 
the Jewifh law, it is plainly intimated 
here, that he was to be found in the 
ehriftian church; that by means of his. 
rank and influence inthischurch,hewas — 


to rife to his exorbitant power; and - 4 


that it would be held and adminiftred 
in an ecclefiaftical form. He is then a 
profeiled chriftian : The authority he 
-claims is {piritual ; and in the church 


~ _ he receives the homage of a God, 


. War can givé usa more éxactidea 
of the fov ereign Pontiff at Rome ? When 
he is elected, he is feated on the high 
altar of St. Peter’s church, the very place 
oftheidolizedhoft, whichthe Papifts fay 
is. Chrift himfelf :_ The people proftrate 
‘themfelves before. him, and implore hia | 
favour.and blefling. ...They addrefs 
him, {¢.Our Lord God dine Pope? He 
et finger, and makes a motion: 
_- jwith his hand; and their fi nsare all for- 
~ givens - Is not this like the feigned Fu« — 
| piter,.on old poe ?-Is not this to /is 
. ae the tenes gitete ie “i Nuala Siac ig pee 


rae cm eal aR 


ee 8 mae 5% 26-8 
€. 5 ute ot) Be ; 
a a - . 


il 9 3] 


« AfTERW<ARDS- he: fovereignly cons 
ttrals every thing in‘religion.. He ex- 
> salts himfelf above God himfelf ; he 
| imakes void the law. of-God by vain tra- 
| «ditions and impious eftablifhmentsofhis 
sown. Heholds back fromthe peoplethe 
fcriptures of God, and places in their 
-room his own decrees: He forgives fins 
upon terms directly oppofite to thofe : 
apon which God hath declared them to 
be forgiven ; and allows vice to be ju 
tified by a cafuiftry; of which even a. 
pagat would be afhamed. is 


THe coming of the Man of Sint is id 

By the Apoftle to be after the working of 
Satani © This I know is generally taken © 

to:refer to the figs and lying wonders, 
mentioned immediately after. But 
-. Goes it noi appear natural té fuppofe, 
that this‘ coming after the working of Satan, 
‘may intend, more generally, after the 

model of Satan; the God of this world, 
in his own. kirigdom ; or among the 
_ pagans, where’ ‘he had fo gteat an in- 
“fluence! and that'it contains a ‘ftrong 
ntimation that the corrupt religion in- 
Sashes and eee be the bee £ 

$Q {97sec iG rie ae g 


A .50 2) 


- Sin, fhould bear.a ftrong Peete nee, 
‘to that. which was formerly found in 
‘the. kingdom of darknefs. ? That this 
is true, no one-who takes a fair and 
‘impartial view of both, can doubt. So 
‘that however teally chriftian Rome.once 
owas, -ic has for many ages fo far_re- 
‘turned to -an imitatiom -of it’s former 
‘pagan idolatries and fuperttitions, that 
‘chriftianity feems to be almoft covered 
‘and buried under: tient. ¢ 277 sade 43° 
Sisvix <lsihy bs 
» In place fe he ae of the Herter 
and Father of all, their’ prayers and 
vows aré chiefly directed to the Virgin 
: Mary, and.other faints. . The canoni- — 
zation, of thefe faints ftrongly refem- 
; dlesthe apotheolis of theancient pagans: 


Tue. cuftom of leaving legacies to 
chew Gods, which grew. to fuch excels, 
as, to require being bounded by the 
7 “Roman ‘law, as we learn from Ulpian, 
a ‘thas inno fimall degree been followed 
‘by the church of Rome. In imitation 
. “of the pagan feftivals, the ‘Popith ca 
Tendar has marked at leaft an equal 
g ‘number of chriftian holidays. The 
i: -writers of their legends, and lives, of 


at 


E 5 J 
the’Saints, have evidently borrowed the 
fubftance of many marvelloustales from 


Ovid, and other pagan authors, leaving 
aut at the fame time, the a and 


elegance of the clailic Oe 


tee 


-.Go. into the chnneleal of madara 
ip and according.to the account of 
the moft judicious. and faithful travell- 
ers, you will fee almoft every thing, 
after the working of Satan, and the mo- 


Pe dck of paganifm. _ You will fee many 
altars, called chriftan, fmoaking at once 


in the fame church, with mene : 
though the primitive profeffors of the 
gofpel, would endure any thing, rather 
than offer incenfe before anidol. You 
will there fee, as in antient Rome, in-— 
numerable tapers and caitdles, burning 
before the fhrines and images of their 
‘Saints ¢: You will fee- offerings and vo- 
tive gifts, of various ine hanging. 
round their altars as-ima pagan temple ; 27 
and innumerable devotees, bewing and, 
proitrating themfelves before ima ges of, 
wood and ftone; and fome’of “thel 
the very images that were.adored by 


© Fig. Jorton and Middleton's Letrer fron Romien 


E se 7} 
“pagans, having uridergone no othet: 
change than the ceremony of baptifm.. 
_ Gointo their roads, and-yow will meet 
with many fuch images, like thofe:of 
the guardians of the high: ways among 
- the Heathen, and travellers i in various 
forms paying their devotions to them. 
_ Enter their cities; you ‘will’ find the 
- fame Kind of idols,’ and receivih#! the 
_ fame” homage, at’ ‘the corners’ of the 
> ftreets,* in’ the’ baths, in the markets,’ 
_ and ih‘almoft every place of public re? 
_ fort.’ “All ‘this, ‘which’ is ‘certainly ac- 
_ cording to the model, formerly ‘pro- 
duced By the working of Satan,in ‘the dark- 
 neéfs of ‘heatHenifm, you will now find 
- ii the : patrimony ‘of Sc: Perer, ind im the 
_ very’ city where his° SEES faceef 
for fits enthroned. " : peewee 


- ~ 


Be *3i9-55. 25 ssupig nizorm sd | 
: =-Tae ak cor “Sun, :comes,. fays:thé 
; Apoftle,. with all power, and:figns, andlya 
_ ing wonders : And with all decetveablenefz 
of unrighteoufnefs-. This: part ofthe des 
| feription, as exaftlycorrefponds to _ 
_ the papal antichrift, as any we have 
_ confidered. Every one knows the pi- 
ous. frauds. that haye been fandtified 


i a - 3 TS Se Sr 
a ~~ 


C sx. 


and prattifed by the Romifh church 
and that it has all along been fond of 
fapporting it’s credit and authority by 
pretended miracles... > +#2{fe2.d ais 


S35; ie fc “rk : ey 4 fats wee) hss 
|, -BELarmine mentions miracles as 
~ one mark of the true church; andi 
{i would fill volumes, to give a particular 
iI account of all thefe lying wonders. 
How many ghofts have appeared, td 

éftablifh the.doétrine-of purgatory, and 

‘ fapport the revenue which the churclt » 
draws from it?: All the images of their 
Saints, have. wrought miracles. They 
have fweat ; they: have groaned ; they 
have fhed tears; they have bled ; they 
have fpoken.; they have changed their 
pofture ; they have walked ; they-have 
own thra’ the air; they have difappear= 
éd in one place, and been vifible again 
fa another » They have given fight to 
the blind ; hearing to the deaf ; health 
zo the fick ; and’even life to the dead. 
Almoft every votive gift, is produced as 
' gn evidence of fome miracle perform- 
édby the faint at whofe fhrine itftands 5 
and thefe miracles are related to en- 

gourage fach donations, by which the: 


To 


wéalth of. he church: has Become im= 
-mmenfe.. The holy. houfe of. Loretto, 


which they tell us, was brought many 


miles through the. air,. to. the. place - 


where it now ftands, has upon this ac- 


. éouint beer’ amazin ae eo by fuch | 


offerings. oe fo 
Bey yest Be PO Tr Se Sb UR 
as zlegends of the Romifh church are 
full of diclecidicnlous miracles: And 
though fince knowledge has increafed 
in the world, they have grown more 
modeftin their accounts; yet the fame — 


fondnefs for thefe lying wonders contis 


- mues among them; as appears” from 


ee) 


the pompous account, publifhed _not 
many years ago, of the miracles pera 


soacd at the tomb of os Abbe de Parise 


lt ata) be sei to Ree. up iif 


the unrighteous deceivings practiced by the. 


papal antichrift ; and to trace the art 
and fubtilty employed to cover the falfe- 
hood and deformity of his religious 


3 fyfter. - The Pope pretends to nothing 


but 4 {piritural power, and holds hig 
territories and wealthin right of St. Peter. 


> ¢-—*"y +; 


~ 
> 


= He. is a tender there and d makes. ne 


I 35 1. 


ule of the fword ; he only gives up ob- 
ftinate heretics and incorrigible offend- 


‘ers to the civil magiftrate, and admon- 


" $fheshim to do his duty. Though the 


- fdolatry and fuperttition he authorizes 


are grofs in many inftances as the par 
gan; and though the people are known 
to. addrefs the image, and to believe 
that the Saint fome how dwells in, it ; 
yet the plea is, that the higheft worfhip 
is not given to the latter, and that the 
former is deligned only to bring to re- 
membrancefome eminently holy perfons - 


- *” Wits what fpecious pretences doth 


s 


he varnith fome of the blackeft crimess 
and even fanctify perfidy, treafons, mur? 
ders and maffacres, while he throwsthe 
-moft trightful colours upon every manly 
‘affertion of the rights of human nature, 
gnd the freedom of confcience?. Thofe: 
awho have difputed his ufurped authoris 
‘ty, and nobly refifted his unrighteous 


- impofitions, if itwas without the reach. 


of his power to. torment their bodies, 


es have at leaft been blackened by every 


artifice of calumny, and reprefented in 
the. moft: odious characterse -. Luthery. 


[ 36 ] 
amone many ‘others, experiended this: 
‘His motives for oppofing the papal pow- 
‘er; ‘his whole life, and the manner of 


his dying, have been bafely mifrepre- . 


fented by the Romifh writers. But 
the faithful pen of hiftory hath refuted 
shefe malicious calumnics, and vindi- 


- wated hisinteegrity ; and without-raifing 
tesrity Ss. 


_ fhim‘above the frailties of a man, hath 
prefervedhis name in-all.the luftre, that 
undaunted fortitude,and uncommonly 
great and fuccefsful efforts, in a caufe 
_ importantly good, never failto imparts 


f° To thofewho have a refpett for rigid 


wtorals, and a life of mortification and - 


felf denial, the Romanifts hold up the 
feverity of their pennances, and the ri- 
your-and aufterity of feme of their re 
ligious-orders. At the fame time, thofe 
qwho chufe to live like men of the warld, 
need not, upon this account, go out of 
_ their church, nor refign one of it’s. pri- 
_ wileges. The Pontiff has the merits of 
' @lithe Saints, as well as of Chrift, in a 
‘wommon fundat his own difpofal, and 
_ from thence for a good price he draws 
' difpenfations, indulgences and pardons, 


~ 


e 
at 


e 


Ee 57. V 


adequate to the moftlicentiousinclinati- 


ons. Underthis pretext he vacates every — 


obligation to a religious life, and leads 
thofe to. deftruction, who have pleafure 
in unrighteoufne/s ; whofe condemnation is 
jaft ; inafmuch as fuch a deception, fo 
contrary to the prompt decifions of 
con{cience, muft be chofen and affect+ 
ed. By thefe and fuch like arts, am 


-tncredible fhare of the lands and wealth 


in England, and in other kingdoms and 
ftates in’ Europe, was, before the refor- 


"mation, the property of the church. 


_ Tue terms in which the benefit of 
‘indulgences, and the neceffity of pur- 
chafing them, were recommended by 
Ferzel and his affociates in Germanys 


- are too extravagant to gain belief had 
_we not the moft authentic teftimony, 
for them. ‘‘ If any man, {aid they, — 


*« purchafes letters of indulgence, his 
<< foul may reft fecure of it’s falvation.* 
«© The fouls, confined in purgatory; 
<¢ for whom they are bought,.as foon 
«¢ a5 the money tinkles in the cheft, im- 
« mediately afcend from their torments 


Robertfan’s Hiftory of Charles 5.% 2. 2 43. im. EX, 


. 
we ~eaest S2- = 


7 


3 
to Heaven: Through them, the mot. 
‘heinous fins, though one fhould. 
#6: violate the mother of God, would. 
“be remitted. ! J he crofs, erected by 
“< the cazholie preachers of the gofpel. 
4-is az-efficacions.as the crofa_ef Chrift | 
** hinifelf.. Lo! the Heavens are epened:s 
you may: enter: now. -For> tyyrelves — 
s*tpende, you inay redeem the foul of. 
‘*¢yaur father. from. purgatory’ t. And. 
4S are you fo. ungrateftl chat you will, 
{not redeem the ieul of your father 
 ** trom tormettt ? If you. hadi bunt one 
-“* coat, you ought to ftrip yourfelf 


» €4nitantly and jell it, to See ee 


6s Benefits. fe - 
ae 


“Fo all this we eee adil the neha 
; ae deccisingcby which the Romanilts: 
have corrupted chriftian morals 3. their-_ 
~ detettablepriaciple,that faizhis nottobe 

- kepewithheretics; the perfidy andinhu- 
| Manity withwhic! eecurdir tod: s.prin- 
- ciple, Hu/s wastreated at the councilof 
 Conftance: Their allowance ofequivocati> - 
-_en-and mental! refervation:;: and - thar 
the blackelt crimes. niay- breome inno- 
. cent and even mcsitoricus, if they be 
dane from a goad. intention, and for 
: ‘the. fervice of the. church, _ All this is 


| ‘{ <s9 3 | 
well known ‘to the world, and may at 
| sence ‘be difcerned ta be part of the 
| character of that wicked one defcribed in 
-our text. . ' 


"* Bur high’as he may exalt himfelf s- 
“confident as he may be in his own. po- 
licy and power, and in the fupport gi~ 
|. .yen him by the kings of the earth, he is 
‘after all the fon of perdition, whom the 
Lord foall confume with the breath of bis: 
mouth, and-deftroy by the brightnefs of his 
| “coming. This prediction, we have be-~ 
fore obferved, does, not relpect any par- 
‘ticular perfon, but an order of men in 
“fucceffion, ‘contriving. and advancing a 
_ “fyftem of falfhood and iniquity. This, 
‘is the object te be confumed. The 
“breath of Chrift’s mouth, is his word, 
> . ‘and a brightnefS ever attends it. Error 
{ys deftroyed by the light of truth, as. 
- darknefS ceafes when, the fan appears., 


‘Ware ge the Man of Sin rofe, the gof- 
“pel was obfcured, and ‘gradually with- 
‘drawn from the view of mem ; the truth 
was held,or imprifoned,in xnrighteoufnefs: 
‘But when this was fet.at liberty, and 
- the facred volumes opened, the papak 
fy ftem felt the fhock,and was evidently 


~~ 
- 


HE 60 3 


platted, Pech not deftroyed,’ as by 
“the fire of Heaven ; blafted by the 
ftroke. of that gofpel, which our Savi- 

our compares to the lightning which com- 

- eth out. of the Eaft, and fhineth even to the 

‘Weft. ‘So. fire-proceedeth out of the 

“mouth of the two witneffes in the Re- 

“velations, and deftroyeth their enemies. 

“The fimplicity of the. gofpel, carries 

with it'a wonderful light and energy: _ 
Itis great, and will finally prevail. Like 

“a flame, it Goes through the briars and 
“thorns that’ oppofe it, and durus them 
“together. In it’s progrefs, ic punifhés 


and.torments the obftinately erroneous 


“and wicked : They gnaw their Tongues 


3 for pain, at the detection of thofe er- 


— 


Fors they will not renounce, - and at the 


“pungent reproof of thofe vices’ which 


‘they cannot forfake. | ‘They have ofteh 


‘other punifhments from “the. ‘judicial 
_ difpenfations “of Heaven, even in this 
lite ; which area prelude: ‘of. what fhall 
be awarded . them, in. proportion to 
their guilt, at the bar of the fon of man, 


aaa E fecond coming of Chrilt extends 


~ in fome fenfe’ from is afcenfion to the 


final judgment. ‘In this‘ period - anti- 


) eee will he Seat ee Have feen | 


ay 


‘already this part of the prediction in = 


confiderable degree fulfilled. - He has 
furprizingly wafted away. He no long- 


‘er appears what he once was ; the dif-. 
‘pofer of crowns, the arbiter of king- . 


-doms, and the dread of the world. 


4 


‘His ftrength is abated, and therev¢rence — 


‘that was once paid him by. Princes 
igreatly diminifhed. — He now palliates 
and feems half afhamed of what he once 
openly profeffed, and boafted in. This 
_ is owing to the increafiag light fpring- 
‘ing from the reformation. ss 


- 


i : Nor’ ought we to overlook a late 


‘event, that deferves particular atten” 


Stions One of his religious orders, I 
_ fmean’the Fefuits, remarkable for a mix- 
‘ture of fubtilty and enthufiafm, which 
sendered them  fingularly active and 
- faccelsful in his caule, has not. long 
“fince been fupprefled by Princes, that 


once. were moft zealoufly devoted to- 


him, and: particularly friendly ‘to this 
-‘yery order. © Even. the Pope himfelf, 
according to fome recent accounts; has 


‘at length been compelled, forely againft ~ 


ig willy to- imitate their example, and 
to concur with them in this fignal, but 
- very ‘bumiliaring act of -yefarmations 


Ee). 


“Thefe ‘things, among others, pleinly 
_ .fhow, haw far this Lucifer, ion of uve 
‘morning, this preteaded fountain 
of -light, and diipenien of inialli- 
. -ble knowlege, hath -deciined.trom Ins 
_ genith,and may be-one means of accel. 


erating his defcent. However this mcy 


de, we are aiured, that at rurthefk, he 
will be totaily. and .abfclurely deftroyed 
by the eens es our Lo:d’ S fecond - 
Soro Mee a8 wonw se 2G Eke e 


- Uron the whole, w hoc compa: res 
_ the predictions of Daniel, and Fobha, 

with that of Paz/ in our text, will find 
in them a furprizing agrement ; and 
. ghat all thefe diftinguifhed fervants of 
God, fpake of the fame iniquitous and 
oppreilive power that was to rife in his 


3 kingdom, in later ages, and. oppofe 


_ - himielf to it ; A power that. _fpeaketh 
_° great things, even great things againfi the 
moft High, and is full of the- names-of blaf-_ 
phemjy:: A: power that prevailetd againft, 


_. @ad weareth out the Saints ; that changeth 


" §imes and laws,and affumeth an authorie 
ty, over all kindreds, and tongues, and na- 


= _ kions 2 A power that cafteth down the boft 


_ of Heaven, all civil rulers, and magnifieth 
_ bimfelf againft the Prince of the hoft 5.36 


aad 

whom notwithtanding, the Kings of the: 
earth do give their ferength : A power 
that deceiverh, by falfe miracles,done in the: 
fight of the beaft, thems that dwell upon the 
earth ¢ and upon whom the. judgment: 
frould finally fit, to take away his dominion, 
aud to confume. and deftroy it to the end. 


|. /« Tie’ prediGions of thethree fers, . 
wants ef God above-named,concerning; ~ 
the corruptions of chriftianity in the Roe. 
mifh church. and concerning the polis 

- ¢ical Rate of the world from firft to laft,, 
but efpeciaily as the revolutions of 
empire kad a relation to our religions; 
thefe I fay. when united, form a pro-. 
phetic picture, which in refpect of the 
grandeur and importance of the events 
delineated. therein, the variety and fin- 
gularity of the particulars whereof thele- 
events confit, the clearnefs and, preci« 
-fion with which they are delineated, the. 
exactnefs of their accomplithment, and. 

| the length of time taken up in the ace. 

ea. complithment, is one.of the moft afton-, 

+ $fhing objects which it is poffidie for the, 

| human mind to contemplate. And, 

therefore the due examination of this, 
pidure, cannot fail to ftrike all wife, 
men, with the higheit conceptions of thq 


>» - 


C 64 J 

prefcience and power of God, and with” 
the deepeft veneration for the chriftian- 
religion,” _in the records of which: 
- this aftonifhing piture is found. For. 

common fenfe dictates, that the ruler of. 

the univerfe never would give the know-:, 
 Jege of future events to impoftors ; ef-. 

_ pecially as upon the credit of that know- 

Iége, they have required mankind to 

believe the hiftory of Jefus. Wherefore, 

_ the corruptions of chriftianity, inftead 

of being any objection againft the di-' 

_ Vinity of our religion, by having been’ 

- fo particularly predicted, are in reality’ 

the foundation of one of the pen est 

q SLi og mi it's favour.” * 


Bae ME will not, allow me . to enlarge. 
- on the reflections which naturally arife 


from our fubject. 


) ~ Wuart a bleffing to mankind was 
2 the reformation ? What a yoke of bon- 
dage did it break ? Even the papal 
power, where it ftill prevails, has. been 
3 tempered by it. It was at once favour-". 
~ able to civil liberty and to ‘the rights of 
confcience. | Religion — ‘and learning - 
revived together.- The Bible, the foun- 
, tain of ‘divine kriowlege being: unco- 
2 B Mckay Truth of eo Hitter}: P. mee 


Ur toes 

~vered, the thirfty came and drank of 
the water of life freely. At the fame 
time the beft human models of writing, 
and the nobleft fentiments on civility 
and government, were read with avidi- 

- ty im the antient claflics. The church 
emerged from darknefs ; -human focie- 
ty was polifhed ; the arts cultivated, 
.. and. commerce enlarged. . 


_ Tue happy fruits of the reformation 
have been tran{planted to America; and 
’ what.a change have they made already 
- in the face of this continent ? Here 
may they all flourifh to the fecond com- 
ing of the fon of man ! And may this 
literary Society, according to the ge- 
‘ nerous defign of it’s founders, be emi- 
nently conducive to fo happy a purpofe. 
_ We. have a Romifh Bifhop, and a Pos 
' pif colony, not far from us’; where, I 
~ ammwellinformed,inftead éfthewdvameas 
- tmenit of proteéftant truth, fince it’s fub- 
| _ jeétion to the  Britifh ‘government, 
7 numbers. havé’ been perverted from 
| eur’ own’ profeffion: And if Popery, 
deceitfully affuming a ‘milder form, 
“ f{eems td be lefs dreaded ‘and abhored 
than tit once was ; let us be upon our 


[ 66 } 


euard, and remembering it is Popery 
ftill, be prepared to oppole it in every 
Ress At beft itis the extremeit def- 
potifm, It decides all things at once, 
and by mere authority, and allows no 
examination of it’sown mandaiesandde- 
crees. Itisadire¢t,an everlafting enemyto 
freedom of inquiry,and confequently to 
knowlege, and good literature. There 
are indeed many learned catholics ; 
but. the learning among them is in one 
way or another greatly owing to the 
reformation : For when Popery reign- 
ed without oppofition, ignorance every 
where prevailed. And even at this 
day, the body of the people in the Ro- 
mith, are not near fo enlightened as 
in the cae ane communion. 


~ 


Bae er vis oC PETanE with the fafety 
of a free government. ft fets up a fo- 
reign head, fuperior to all civil rulers ; 
a fpiritual power that reaches to every 
thing upon earth, and ean brook no 
4 gontrol. Trampling “upon the rights 
of confcience, and affuming an autho- 
rity to abfolve every facred “obligation, 

what: pledge can it poffibly leave us, 
fer the Security = a freedom, 2 ae 


. P + se 
2 2 Ping 
i = 


as 


4 67 


Compare the prefent ftate of Italy > 


svith what it once was. Where are the 


.. poets, the orators, the philofophers, the 


ftatefmen and heroes, that once guided, 
defended,and adorned that diftinguifh- 
ed country ?) Where are the numbers 
§t fupported, and the fpirit and vigour 
of it’s inhabitants? Nature is the fame ; 
it is tyranny, and moft of all, the papal 
tyranny, that hath made the change. 


We have indeed, may a Popith bigot fay, » 
we have happily no more the fierce” 


contentions of antient Rome : All things 
are now fettled by an indifputable autho- 
rity; and weare at peace. Buthavethere 
been no bloody contefts in papal Rome ? 


-And what kind of tranquility does it 


ever enjoy? Is it the eafe and happinefs 


of a vigorous,well governed ftate ? Far. 


from it : Itis the filence of death ; it 
is the peace of a church yard. 


- oe 
Ler ustherefore, ftand faft in the li- 
berty wherewith Chrift has made us free, 


“and allow no un{criptural impofition, 


no trace of the papal bondage, to be 
found among us! May a liberal in- 


__quiry, a free and temperate difcuffion, 


_diffipate error of every kind, and by 


&; ‘ 


<<” ¥ 


-: 


a a 
- 


- 


fs } 
Le i - 
advaficing truth, fecuré the true orde~ — 
and-felicity both: of church and ftate! 


- Maythe honour of the infpired writings, | 


as the only infallible: rule of faith aad 


_ practice, and: the right of private judg- 


ment, the bafis: of the reformation, eect 


- ever be. faeredly: preferved among us}. 


And... may.‘ferious. piery, and chriftian 
morals, thé end of all, adorn our pro- 
feffion‘as proteftants, and ever keep pacé 


— with our ee in. fpeculative 


io a RE e es oer 
nowy. ee set gay ear sce fo See See 
ave : = a5 % « ao ae mo ‘ ° 
a oe is ai Bn es ae oe Ee oe We be cao: Peas se DBs ; 
Si ' . °e ~ * - * ~ 
3 aa Peteses as tat ERE, BETE -- 
= ee pars 4 — « a, * 
a a Se = 4 : ss 2 
et} SS RE ry ea G= < m 
tz ‘ oF aS ee ee +? ay = 
. 


{ 


eS ee ae el a 


Wi) ) 


Ie emer ae rm Ni 


A 


Sa 


Date Due 


tas ee 


rt 
[op] 
a 
ive) 
oD 
¢ 
i} 
E 
uv 
(a) 


8Z€9c0d 


PAV 


